1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a drive system for driving and guiding a wall element, in particular for a room partitioning wall system, with a carriage unit that is guided to be longitudinally movable in a guiding rail, wherein the carriage unit has a roller carriage disposed within the guiding rail, and a drive unit disposed below the guiding rail.
2. Related Art
Drive systems for driving and for guiding a wall element for room partitioning wall systems are well known. The drive systems have carriage units with respective drives such that the carriage units are autonomously displaceable in the guiding rail. For this purpose carriage units are known in different configurations, which mostly have a roller carriage located within the guiding rail, wherein a drive unit is affixed to said carriage, in which unit at least the drive motor, and optionally a transmission, is accommodated.
A drive system for driving and for guiding a wall element for a room partitioning wall system is known from EP 0 959 219 A2. A carriage unit is provided therein which is accommodated to be longitudinally movable in the guiding rail via rollers, wherein the rollers are driven via a drive unit. Guiding rollers are provided to allow for guiding the carriage unit within the guiding rail and in particular in branchings of several guiding rails, wherein said guiding rollers are guided on the upper side of the roller carriage of the carriage unit in pre-established guiding paths within the guiding rail. Complicated guiding geometries are required within the guiding rail for guiding, which complicate installing, un-installing and maintenance work considerably. As the guiding device is disposed on the upper side, it is necessary to dispose required current collectors and associated power rails laterally next to the displacement path of the carriage unit, which increases the structural dimensions of the drive system considerably.
A drive system of a carriage unit for a room partitioning wall system is known from DE 199 32 891 A1, which has several guiding rollers and requires further guiding devices within the guiding rail which cooperate with the guiding rollers. Also this structural configuration of the carriage unit, which is accommodated within the guiding rail to be longitudinally movable and serves to displace wall elements, requires considerable structural space such that the guiding rail needs to be considerably larger dimensioned. It is in particular desirable to minimize the height dimension of the drive system such that an improved basic structure of the drive system and in particular of the carriage unit is achieved.